Crisis Center Nurse - PRN

Paragon • Frisco, CO

9h

About The Position

Paragon Behavioral Health Connections is seeking a compassionate and skilled Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to provide frontline crisis care at its 24/7 Walk-In Crisis Center. The nurse supports the center’s role as a “no wrong door” access point for people experiencing behavioral health crises, delivering triage, medical screening, stabilization, and coordinated care to adults, youth, and families with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring needs.

The position includes crisis assessment and intervention, nursing and medication services, substance-use crisis care, care coordination, and compliant documentation. The nurse collaborates with a multidisciplinary team to determine appropriate levels of care and connect clients with medical, behavioral health, and community resources. The role is PRN and participates in a rotating team supporting 24/7/365 coverage, including scheduled after-hours on-call telehealth duty.

Paragon provides behavioral health services across Colorado, including community-based and in-home care, crisis stabilization, substance-use treatment, and other supports. The organization describes its approach as compassionate, client-centered, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and culturally responsive. Salary is commensurate with experience and licensure.

Requirements

• Active Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license in Colorado.
• Valid Colorado driver’s license and access to reliable transportation.
• Current CPR/BLS certification.
• Vaccinations up to date in accordance with agency and public health guidelines.
• One to two years of experience working with individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, or in crisis/emergency settings.
• Ability to respond within 5–10 minutes when scheduled for after-hours on-call telehealth duty.
• Strong clinical assessment, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills in high-acuity environments.
• Compassionate, nonjudgmental, client-centered approach and ability to de-escalate and stabilize people experiencing psychiatric or substance-use crises.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a fast-paced multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in clinical documentation.
• Cultural humility and demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice.
• Ability to navigate ambiguous or rapidly evolving situations with composure.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) for RN applicants.
• Experience in community-based, psychiatric, crisis, emergency, or integrated care settings.
• Familiarity with the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model, trauma-informed care, and harm-reduction principles.
• Experience with MAT/MOUD administration and monitoring.
• Familiarity with Colorado 27-65 emergency mental health hold procedures.
• National certification such as Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing (PMH-BC) or Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN).

Responsibilities

• Provide immediate walk-in triage for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises and complete crisis screening and assessments within required Colorado BHA Chapter 6 timeframes.
• Conduct suicide and homicide risk assessments and use validated assessment tools, including PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5, and the Columbia Protocol.
• Provide crisis intervention, de-escalation, and brief stabilization; develop and document safety plans and provide lethal-means counseling and restriction planning.
• Engage family members and caregivers when appropriate to support stabilization.
• After completing required Colorado training, initiate M-1/27-65 emergency mental health holds when clinically necessary to ensure client safety.
• Conduct comprehensive health assessments and ongoing monitoring; document vital signs and perform basic health screenings and point-of-care testing, including urine drug screens, pregnancy tests, and glucose monitoring.
• Administer medications, including medications used in MAT/MOUD, monitor side effects and treatment effectiveness, and administer and track long-acting injectable medications as directed by a prescribing provider.
• Assess and monitor withdrawal using validated tools such as CIWA and COWS, escalating care appropriately.
• Administer naloxone and support harm-reduction interventions and naloxone distribution.
• Under provider direction, enter laboratory and toxicology orders, track completion, and follow up on results.
• Coordinate with pharmacies, complete prior authorizations, and support PDMP compliance.
• Initiate emergency medical response and facilitate transfer when acute medical needs exceed the Walk-In Crisis Center’s capacity.
• Screen and assess for substance use disorders, conduct intoxication assessment and management under clinical protocols, and evaluate MAT/MOUD initiation or continuation.
• Coordinate bridge prescriptions when clinically indicated and support Emergency Commitment evaluations and processing.
• Coordinate warm handoffs to detoxification, withdrawal management, and substance-use treatment providers.
• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to determine the appropriate level of care and provide referrals or warm handoffs to behavioral health and medical services, including outpatient care, community stabilization, CSUs, BHCCs, inpatient psychiatric services, and emergency rooms with provider support.
• Coordinate transportation and connect individuals with housing, food, case management, peer recovery, and social service resources.
• Coordinate with school systems, criminal justice, and law enforcement when appropriate.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and compliant electronic health record documentation in accordance with agency and regulatory standards.
• Participate in daily team meetings and contribute to individualized crisis and treatment planning.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate psychoeducational groups focused on wellness, recovery, and harm reduction.
• Triage client needs to appropriate team members and support provider scheduling.
• Promote trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and culturally responsive practices in all interactions.
• Maintain reliable availability and professional response times during scheduled on-call periods.

Benefits

• Company-paid health insurance.
• Company-paid dental insurance.
• Company-paid vision insurance.
• Company-paid short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Company-paid life insurance.
• Licensure supervision and regular clinical consultation.
• Career growth opportunities, including opportunities to explore modalities and specializations and advance into leadership.

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: No Education Listed